Judge shoots down Panayiotou's leave to appeal

Christopher Panayiotou's application for leave to appeal his murder conviction was quickly shot down by Judge Dayalin Chetty on Thursday morning.

Judge Chetty said the only victim was Panayiotou's slain wife‚ Jayde‚ who was now being supplanted by other "would be victims" such as middleman Luthando Siyoni and his girlfriend‚ Babalwa Breakfast.

He said senior defence Advocate Terry Price's argument served only to obscure the real issues at hand and to try to deceive Chetty into granting leave to appeal.

"The grounds upon which leave to appeal was sought are‚ in essence‚ a regurgitation of the submissions advanced at trial‚" said Chetty.

Chetty said no other court would come to conclusion other than that Panayiotou orchestrated his wife's murder.